philippagregoryfandomcom-20200214-history
Catherine Howard
Catherine Howard is one of the narrative characters in The Boleyn Inheritance and the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Katherine was an impoverished member of the great Howard family and cousin to Queen Anne Boleyn. She grew up in unruly the household of her step-grandmother and lost her virtue at a young age. She is brought to court by her uncle Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk where the king becomes besotted with the young girl and divorces his fourth wife to marry Katherine. Henry is uncommonly affectionate towards Katherine and loving calls her his "Rose without a thorn". However Henry's age and failing health make it exceedingly difficult to beget an heir to secure Katherine's position. Under the advice of her uncle Thomas Howard and cousin Jane Boleyn, and following her own desire, Katherine begins an affair with courtier Thomas Culpeper. the discovery of this affair and of her past relationships lead Katherine to her death. The Boleyn Inheritance Katherine's mother died when she was an infant and her penniless father all but abandoned her, leaving her to be raised by her step-grandmother in Sussex, then her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk in Lambeth. In Sussex, when Katherine was eleven, her virginals tutor Henry Manox effectively forced her into a relationship, but later breaks it off out of fear of Katherine's step-grandmother. The novel begins on Katherine's fourteenth birthday at Lambeth. Katherine believes herself in love with a gentleman of her grandmother's household, Francis Dereham. Under the influence of the other girls of the household, Katherine has learned the art of flirting, and other, arguably bad habits. Katherine dreams of going to court and having fine clothes, dancing and flirting with the court gentlemen. Katherine becomes Francis' lover and the couple have a betrothal ceremony, which Francis claims means they are as good as married. Not really understanding, Katherine goes along with it. However, when Henry VIII decides to take another wife, Katherine's uncle offers to get her a position as the new queen's ladies-in-waiting. Katherine jumps at the opportunity, vowing to be well-behaved from now on and ending her relationship with Francis. Katherine loves court life, quickly gaining the attention of many men, including Thomas Culpeper. She finds the new queen, Anne of Cleves, a bit of a disappointment, but became her friend and tried to advise her on pleasing the king. It was soon found, however, that Katherine herself had caught Henry's eye and he began courting her. Knowing the king wanted out of his marriage to Anne, the Duke of Norfolk began plotting for Katherine to become his new wife, seeing it as a prime opportunity to put his family in power again. Katherine, naive and easily lead, went along with it, with her kinswoman Jane Rochford acting as an adviser. After divorcing Anne, Henry married Katherine. She adored her new life as queen, inviting many of her girlhood friends to be her ladies-in-waiting and reveling in the riches and attention she received. However, she found constantly having to please her husband - who was over thirty years her senior - exhausting; she was also disgusted by his obesity and other health issues. She confided her troubles in Lady Rochford, who convinced her to begin an affair with Thomas Culpeper, hoping to get Katherine pregnant and pass it off as the king's child to secure Katherine's position as queen. Katherine felt happier after she began her relationship with Culpeper, feeling loved and desirable, but having little realization of the potential dangers of betraying the king. Eventually, Katherine's past came back to haunt her, with one of her former peers at Lambeth spreading rumors of Katherine's previous relationships. Archbishop Cranmer launches an investigate, arresting Katherine, Lady Rochford Francis (who had joined Katherine's household as her secretary) and Culpeper. Katherine was frightened, but believed the king would forgive her. After trying, unsuccessfully, to talk her way out of it, she decided to confess, assuming she would be forgiven. However, she was instead transported to the Tower of London by her own uncle, to be executed. Katherine was understandably horrified by this, even attempting to escape from the guards. She was also horrified when she realized that Culpeper and Francis had both been executed and saw their heads stuck on spikes on Tower Bridge. At the Tower, Katherine requested to have the executioner's block brought to her cell, so that she could practice laying her neck across it. On the day of her execution, Katherine went to her death as bravely as she could, but fainted on the way and had to be half-carried up to the scaffold. Katherine tried to plead with the crowd, but ultimately accepted her fate - fortunately, she died quickly. She was only sixteen years old. Physical Appearance In ''The Boleyn Inheritance'', Katherine was described to be an extraordinarily beautiful and seductive young girl, with long golden-brown hair, grey eyes, and a slim voluptuous figure. Personality Katherine is portrayed as a flirtatious, fun-loving girl, though very naive and unworldly. She is not exactly stupid, merely young and lacking in life experience. Katherine can be vain, materialistic and rarely thinks of the long-term consequences of her actions. This, coupled with her naivety, means she is easily manipulated by people older than herself. Katherine thinks of herself as being a mature and sophisticated woman, though her behavior and way of thinking strongly suggest otherwise. Katherine gets bored easily and longs for excitement and companionship. She finds the glamour of court life much to her taste and enjoys being the center of attention, but has little idea of the potential dangers and intricate workings of the court. In spite of her flaws, Katherine has a certain charm and love of life that endears her to many people. Historical Figure In the novel, Katherine is depicted as being only fifteen when she marries the king and very beautiful. In reality, Katherine was said to be only "moderately beautiful" though "youthful" looking. Katherine's exact birth-date is unknown, but her age at the time of her death is estimated to be between 16 and 21. Trivia * Katherine's fate is an ironic reversal of her cousin's downfall. Anne Boleyn was executed for adultery though she was innocent of the charge while Katherine was executed and guilty of the charge. Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Queens Category:Tudor Characters Category:Historical figures Category:Executed characters Category:Royals Category:English characters Category:House of Tudor Category:Howard family members Category:Catholic characters